Forklift truck attachments comprise a variety of devices and tools for realizing multiple functions from a single forklift. Convenient installation and removal of different working attachments allows a forklift to adapt to a variety of conditions. Forklift attachments enhance the work efficiency and safety performance of the forklift, and are also an important means of significantly reducing damage to the loads being handled. For example, the use of a paper roll clamp to move paper rolls can minimize or avoid damage to paper rolls; if using a forklift not equipped with a paper roll clamp, the incidence of damage to paper rolls can increase by 15%. For packaging enterprises which use large quantities of paper or use high quality paper, the investment in such an attachment will be recovered in just a short period of time, and the subsequent avoidance of the 15% damage rate can greatly lower the production costs of the enterprise. The use of a fork positioner enables the driver to adjust the fork-to-fork distance as required from the seat via a control lever, thus improving work efficiency, reducing labor, and avoiding damage to the pallet and finger injuries during adjustment. The use of push/pulls for transporting materials with an inexpensive slip sheet instead of a pallet and saves on pallet maintenance and stacking-related expenses. Particularly when stacking loads inside containers and rail cars, stacking space is more efficiently conserved. It may be seen that forklift attachments play an important role in fully utilizing the functions of the forklift truck.
Clamps are a type of forklift attachment that can safely and efficiently clamp various stone and brick materials, and are suited to palletless moving and stacking operations in the floor tile, concrete preform, masonry and graphite, etc. industries. They are typically composed of a rear mounting system, a left gripping arm, a right gripping arm and a hydraulic system. The rear mounting system connects the entire attachment to the forklift. The left and right arms are equipped with rubber blocks. The hydraulic system functions to generate frictional force when the left and right arms clamp a load, balancing the gravitational force of the load, so as to achieve the function of transporting the same.
The structure of current gripping arms is typically constituted by an outer arm, an inner arm and a pin. The inner arm is equipped with a single rubber block, while the pin, gaskets and outer arm together form a horizontal hinge structure which is further provided with limiting members at both ends. In practice, the horizontal adjustment range is limited, and there is no mechanism allowing adjustment in the vertical direction, such that loads cannot be evenly borne, and are prone to sliding off and sustaining damage. In addition, the use of a single rubber block imposes height restrictions, and tall loads are unable to be effectively stabilized, while repairs and maintenance are difficult once the entire block becomes worn. What is desired, therefore, is clamp attachment mountable on a forklift which provides improved load stability and reduces the cost and difficulty of maintaining the gripping arms.